How to become a yoga teacher

Less of a career choice, more of a heart's desire. That's what brought most yoga teachers to start teaching. Yet, it is certainly a profession, no matter to what degree you end up teaching. Here are few things we'd like to share that might help you if you are thinking about becoming a yoga teacher. 
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• HAVE A PRACTICE. Meaning, have somewhat of a journey in your own practice, a development, to refer back to in training and as you begin to teach. In our trainings we ask minimum 2 years of regular vinyasa practice. 
• HAVE A PASSION. Ask yourself why you would like to teach yoga. Make sure you have an answer that holds up. You will need to be passionate about your new profession – it's a competitive business out there and if your WHY is in place you'll have a great starting point. 
• COMPARE TRAININGS. This is a big one. It's time consuming. And confusing. You need to find a teacher training that suits you. A yoga teacher training is a big investment in time and money. They vary tremendously in quality because unfortunately it's a very unregulated field. There are various certifications and it can all be extremely confusing. Still, you will have to do it. Compare and read all the fine print. Contact the directors of the program if you don't already know them, and ask all your questions. Talk to them on the phone. Find out if there's a real connection. It's important. Ask for references from former trainees. Get them on the phone. Trust your gut instinct. Consider these things:

1. My local trusted teacher or a teacher I don't know with a more exciting sounding program? Well...sometimes the local option is the only option, depending on your life situation. If your local teacher offers a training and the program doesn't appeal to you, consider waiting until your life situation changes. Don't invest and risk your future relationship with your local studio owner if you're not 100% sure the program is right for you. 
2. A program on weekends for a year or a live-in 3-4 week intensive? Another one that depends on what suits you. Not everyone can take 3-4 weeks off work and life and step in to a bubble. If this is the case, the weekend set-up is great. The biggest positive with this format is that it allows plenty of time to digest all the content. But if you can do an intensive, consider it. To basically go to summer camp as an adult, for several weeks, living only yoga, is quite a treat. You are unlikely to do anything like this again in your adult life. You'll make strong connections with others, you'll check out of your regular life and get a chance to contemplate it all. Make sure you pick a training with decent quality housing and meals included though.  A program like this is quite intense and to have to scramble and shop and cook will take your attention away from the beauty of immersion. It's worth the extra money to go for the all-inclusive option.   
3. A celebrity teacher or a less known teacher? A well-known yoga teacher can look impressive on your resume and may also help future students to understand what type of yoga they can expect from you – if they know that teacher. Quite often, the well-known teacher's YTT:s are big group trainings, where you may or may not create a personal connection with the teacher. It can be soothing to be "left alone" and just do your own thing on the sidelines, but ultimately getting personal attention is of very high value. To be seen and supported is key in a training. Make sure you get to talk to a former trainee who can describe the learning environment before deciding. Be aware of guru-like hypes (they do exist) and with lesser-known and well-known teachers, inquire about the main focus of their training to ensure it suits you. 
4. In-person or online? Since 2020, many yoga teacher trainings have gone online permanently. Again, if this is your only option for lifestyle reasons, go for it. For online trainings, aim for a well established and well known teacher. This way you are more likely to be offered a professional technical solution and high quality digital material. Also, you can access teachers that may not be accessible otherwise, so go big! If you have the chance to do a yoga teacher training in person though, consider it. Yoga is all about connection and community. It's about bodies and minds and humans. It's about the senses. Spending 200 hours in front of your screen doing something this embodied and connected may or may not take you to a place of confidence as a new yoga teacher. If you can, take the opportunity to learn with others, to see others and be seen. 

• GO ALL IN ONCE YOU'RE IN TRAINING. Let go of everything else and focus fully on the content. This is your chance to immerse. You're in the conversation, in the bubble to some degree. Step in, dive in. 
• TRAINING BEGINS AFTER TRAINING. Yes. It does. Start teaching right away while all the content is fresh. Start with friends and family and just do it. Hopefully your yoga teacher training prepared you for this. Teach the same class over and over until you feel ready to create a new one. Allow everything to take time. 
• 1–2 YEARS LATER. After you start teaching, allow a year or two of a couple of classes per week until you feel comfortable delivering a class. Usually you'll enter a new phase here, of some doubt and a new longing for support and fine-tuning your skills and offerings. But that's another story. 

Interested in a vinyasa teacher training? Check out our Yoga Alliance certified 200 hour trainings here ››  And our certified Advanced vinyasa teacher training here ››